Carciofata de Trieste

Show: Mediterranean Seder

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From Joyce Goldstein's Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen. Joyce says "In carciofata, a spring vegetable stew from Trieste, all of the vegetables are cooked separately to maintain their texture and color, then combined and heated through at serving time."

Juice of 1 lemon
3 medium artichokes or 6 small (1/2 pound trimmed)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic, or to taste
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup shelled English peas, blanched for 1 minute
1/2 pound baby carrots, peeled and parboiled for 5 to 7 minutes 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced, and sautéed in olive oil for 5 minutes
1/2 pound asparagus tips, blanched for 2 minutes
1/2 pound little new potatoes, parboiled for 7 to 10 minutes, depending on size, drained
1/2 pound tiny pearl onions, parboiled for 4 to 5 minutes, drained, and peeled
2 cups vegetable broth, or as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar, if needed
Chopped fresh mint, flat-leaf parsley, or basil for garnish (optional)

Fill a medium saucepan with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, have ready a bowl of water to which you have added the lemon juice. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, cut off the stem even with the base. Remove all the tough outer leaves until you reach the pale green heart. Pare away the dark green area from the base. Cut the artichoke in half and scoop out and discard the choke from each half. Then cut each half lengthwise in half again lengthwise. Drop into the lemon water. When all the artichokes are trimmed, drain and add to the boiling water. Parboil for 5 minutes and drain.

Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and parsley and stir for a minute or two. Add the artichokes, peas, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes, pearl onions, and enough vegetable broth to moisten. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until all the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper, and add the sugar, if needed for flavor balance. Transfer to a warmed serving dish. A little chopped parsley, basil, or mint would make a nice garnish. Serve hot.

Variation: When the vegetables are tender, beat 1 egg with 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice until frothy. Add a bit of the vegetable cooking liquid to the egg-and-lemon mixture (bagna brusca) to temper it, then whisk it into the vegetables. Stir well and remove from the heat. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, basil, or mint. Serve at once.

Serves 6